Standardisation Law (1998)

Section 1. This Law regulates the standardisation principles, tasks, organisational system and the procedures for the financing of standardisation, as well as the classification of standards.

Section 2. Standardisation is an aggregate of activities, the purpose of which is to determine general and frequently applicable principles for solving existing or prospective tasks and thus to create conditions for optimum order in a specific field. Chapter II Principles and Tasks of Standardisation

Section 3. The principles of standardisation shall be as follows: 1) openness, the involvement of all interested parties in standardisation and the taking of decisions on the basis of a collective agreement; 2) voluntary participation in standardisation and the voluntary application of standards; 3) orientation toward technical achievements; 4) orientation toward the interests of society as a whole; and 5) compliance with the international and regional standardisation requirements. 1 The Parliament of the Republic of Latvia Translation © 2006 Tulkošanas un terminoloģijas centrs (Translation and Terminology Centre)

Section 4. Standardisation tasks shall be as follows: 1) to ensure the protection of human life and health and the environment; 2) to promote the free movement of goods and services; 3) to promote the co-operation of states; 4) to ensure the compatibility of products and systems; 5) to utilise resources rationally; and 6) to ensure the protection of consumer interests. [20 June 2001] Chapter III Organisational System of Standardisation

Section 5. The Ministry of Economics shall implement State policy in the field of standardisation.

Section 6. (1) The process of standardisation shall be co-ordinated by the National Standardisation Council. (2) The National Standardisation Council is a consultative body, the by-law of which is approved by the Cabinet and the activities of which are managed by the Ministry of Economics. (3) The composition of the staff of the National Standardisation Council shall be approved by the Cabinet pursuant to the recommendation of the Minister for Economics. (4) The main tasks of the National Standardisation Council shall be as follows: 1) to participate in State policy-making in the field of standardisation; 2) to examine and submit national standardisation programmes for approval; 3) to promote attraction of interested bodies in the implementation of national standardisation programmes; 4) to supervise the implementation of national standardisation programmes; 5) to participate in the formulation of laws and other regulatory enactments related to standardisation; and 6) to promote co-operation with international standardisation institutions.

Section 7. (1) In Latvia, standardisation shall be performed by: 1) the limited liability company Latvijas Standarts (hereinafter – National standardisation body); 2) sectoral standardisation bodies; 3) technical standardisation committees; and 4) merchants. (2) [10 November 2005] Translation © 2006 Tulkošanas un terminoloģijas centrs (Translation and Terminology Centre) 2 (3) The Cabinet shall establish sectoral standardisation bodies pursuant to the recommendation of the Minister for Economics. [20 June 2001; 18 March 2004; 10 November 2005]

Section 8. (1) Pursuant to international standardisation principles, the National standardisation body and sectoral standardisation bodies shall: 1) determine the procedures of standardisation; and 2) establish technical standardisation committees. (2) Within the meaning of this Law, the procedures of standardisation shall be the sequence of activities necessary for the performance of standardisation. (3) The National standardisation body and sectoral standardisation bodies which are members of the relevant international and regional standardisation organisations shall keep, maintain and supplement the fund of international standards.

Section 9. The main functions of the National standardisation body shall be as follows: 1) to organise the formulation of Latvian national standards and the adaptation of international standards in technical standardisation committees; 2) to register as Latvian national standards those standards which are formulated or adapted by the standardisation technical committees in accordance with the prescribed procedures; 3) to issue and publish Latvian national standards and other documents related thereto; 4) to ensure the establishment of funds of standards and other documents related thereto and the distribution of information in the field of standardisation; 5) to ensure the maintenance, storage and supplementation of the funds of Latvian national standards and other documents related thereto; 6) to participate in the operations of international and regional standardisation organisations; and 7) to ensure regular co-operation with the European Union bodies for the fulfilment of international obligations in accordance with Section 91 of this Law. [18 March 2004]

Section 9.1 In co-operation with the European Union bodies, the National standardisation body shall: 1) announce to the European Commission and European standardisation bodies (the European Committee for Standardisation, the European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardisation, the European Telecommunications Standards Institute and the national standardisation bodies of the European Union Member States) regarding the objects included in the standardisation plan, in relation to which it is intended to prepare or amend the national standards, except for cases when the national standards take over identical or equivalent European or international standards; 2) upon the request of the European Commission, inform the European Commission and European standardisation bodies regarding the standardisation plan (the operational programme of the standardisation body in which the objects in relation to which standardisation is performed are referred to) or a separate part thereof; and Translation © 2006 Tulkošanas un terminoloģijas centrs (Translation and Terminology Centre) 3 3) submit to the European Commission and European standardisation bodies upon the request thereof all the draft standards(the document which contains the technical parameters of a specified object and which is intended to be accepted in accordance with standardisation procedures) which are distributed for public discussion and commentary. [18 March 2004]

Section 10. Sectoral standardisation bodies shall perform standardisation in a separate sector.

Section 11. Technical standardisation committees shall formulate standards and shall be responsible for standardisation in specific sectors. Chapter IV Standards, the Types and Application Thereof

Section 12. (1) A standard is a document approved by the relevant body which is formulated on the basis of a collective agreement, includes general and repeatedly applicable provisions, instructions or a description of various types of activities or the results thereof, and the purpose of which is to bring optimum order to a specific field. (2) The standards of Latvia shall be divided as follows: 1) Latvian national standards; 2) standards of international and regional standardisation organisations adapted in the status of a Latvian national standard and registered in accordance with the prescribed procedures; and 3) the standards of separate sectors, bodies and merchants. [10 November 2005]

Section 13. (1) The application of standards shall be voluntary. (2) The Cabinet may determine the Latvian national standards the application of which is mandatory. The Cabinet shall determine the principles, tasks and organisational system of standardisation in the military field. [18 March 2004]

Section 14. (1) The standards of international and regional standardisation organisations, which are adapted in the status of a Latvian national standard, may also be drawn up in the official language of the relevant standardisation organisation. (2) The Latvian national standards the application of which is mandatory must be translated into the official language. (3) The translation of the standards into the official language referred to Paragraph two of this Section shall be ensured by the Ministry of Economics on the basis of requests submitted to Translation © 2006 Tulkošanas un terminoloģijas centrs (Translation and Terminology Centre) 4 the ministry and in conformity with the funds allocated for the translation of standards in the annual State budget law. [10 November 2005]

Section 15. (1) The National standardisation body has the right to issue and publish the Latvian national standards registered in accordance with the prescribed procedures. (2) International standards shall be distributed by the standardisation bodies of Latvia which are members of the relevant international and regional standardisation organisations, in accordance with the procedures prescribed in agreements. Chapter V Financing of Standardisation

Section 16. Standardisation shall be financed from the State budget, contributions of legal persons and natural persons and from the income obtained from paid services provided in the field of standardisation.

Section 17. (1) The following shall be financed from the State budget: 1) the maintenance costs of the National standardisation body; 2) the updating and supplementation of the information base of standards; 3) the formulation of Latvian national standards in the regulated sphere; 4) the adaptation of international standards in the regulated sphere; and 5) the fee for participation in international standardisation organisations. (2) The formulation of Latvian national standards in the non-regulated sphere shall be financed by legal persons and natural persons who are interested in using these standards. Transitional Provisions 1. Cabinet Regulations No. 281, Regulations for Standardisation, issued pursuant to Section 81 of the Constitution (Ziņotājs of the Saeima and the Cabinet of the Republic of Latvia, 1998, No. 18) is repealed with the coming into force of this Law. 2. The non-profit-making organisation State limited liability company Latvijas Standarts shall be modified and applied for registration in the Commercial Register not later than by 1 July 2004. Until the conversion of the non-profit-making State limited liability company Latvijas Standarts into the limited liability company Latvijas Standarts and the registration thereof in the Commercial Register, standardisation shall be performed in accordance with Section 7, Paragraph 1, Clause 1 of this Law by the non-profit-making organisation State limited liability company Latvijas Standarts. 3. Section 12, Paragraph three of this Law shall come into force on 1 January 2007. [18 March 2004; 10 November 2005] Translation © 2006 Tulkošanas un terminoloģijas centrs (Translation and Terminology Centre) 5 Informative Reference to European Union Directives This Law includes legal norms arising from European Union Directives 98/34/EC and 98/48/EC. [18 March 2004] The Law has been adopted by the Saeima on 14 October 1998. President G. Ulmanis Rīga, 28 October 1998 Translation © 2006 Tulkošanas un terminoloģijas centrs (Translation and Terminology Centre) 6